1. Field of the Invention
Generally, the invention relates to devices and methods to wipe the surface of a floor. More specifically, the invention relates to such devices and methods where the device is placed on the floor and manipulated by placing a foot thereon and moving the device about to wipe, or otherwise clean, the surface of the floor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous devices have been proposed to assist a person in the cleaning of a surface of a floor. It is conventionally known to provide ‘floor mops’ having a pad, or other cleaning arrangement, attached to an elongated handle where the person standing generally upright holds the handle and manipulates the floor contact portion for movement about the surface of the floor. It is known in the art to provide for two opposing cleaning surfaces, having unique cleaning characteristics, on the cleaning arrangement portion. This arrangement provides for the user to select which cleaning surface to utilize during a cleaning procedure. One example of this is a sponge pad having an abrasive, or at least stiffer material, attached to the forward edge. In use, when a loosening or removal of debris or dirt is desired where the sponge pad is insufficient for the task the user would rotate the assembly one hundred and eighty degrees and utilize the scouring pad portion to remove the dirt desired then rotate the assembly another one hundred and eighty degrees (in either direction) and continue the cleaning procedure with the sponge portion.
The problem with such handled ‘mops’ is that they are large and long, due to the handle, and typically will be stored in a storage location where it must be removed from and returned to during each use. This makes such devices less desirable due to the extra time required to get them from their respective storage location, use them, clean them subsequent to usage and then return them to their respective storage location. The cleaning process for the handled ‘mop’ can also be awkward, due to the protruding handle, when the user merely wishes to rinse the floor contact portion off in a sink, such as in a kitchen or bathroom. When the user merely wishes to clean up a spill on the floor the user will often bypass the conventional handled ‘mop’ and merely bend over and clean up the affected area with a towel, either of cloth or of the paper variety. This procedure has been known to result in injury while the user is bending over and manipulating the towel using a hand of the user. Back injuries are relatively common from these procedures. Often the user will merely drop the towel on the floor and then attempt to manipulate the towel with the foot, whether bare or having a shoe thereon. This arrangement often results in the towel not being flat while on the floor but rather be bunched up or folded at irregular positions. Often the user will end up getting the material that they are attempting to clean up from the floor on their feet or on their shoes due to nonuniform orientation of the towel relative to the foot or shoe.
Many patents have been issued for devices which permit the user to manipulate a cleaning surface utilizing a foot of the user. Typically, such devices are in the form of a shoe or booty which is placed on the foot while the foot is elevated above the floor. These devices provide excellent cleaning qualities, such as being maintained in a proper orientation relative to the foot during the cleaning procedure. Unfortunately, such devices are awkward to place on the foot and awkward to remove, especially when soiled or damp from the cleaning procedure performed on the floor. Typically, such devices have extraordinary structures to ensure retention on the foot during the transfer from the installation position elevated above the floor, to the floor where the cleaning procedure occurs and back to an elevated position above the floor where removal occurs. Various enhancements have been proposed for devices in this class including removable scrubbing pads and simpler retention arrangements.
As detailed above, various devices, and associated methods, have been proposed to provide for cleaning of small spills, or other messes, from the surface of floors. These attempts have been less efficient than desired. As such, it may be appreciated that there continues to be a need for a simple cleaning assembly which may be placed on the floor, manipulated by a forward extent of a foot of the user with confidence of retention of placement orientation relative to the foot, and which has a first cleaning surface at one end of the cleaning assembly and a second cleaning surface, unique from the first cleaning surface, at the opposing end of the cleaning assembly and where the cleaning assembly may be readily rinsed by hand in a sink and merely hung to dry. The present invention substantially fulfills these needs.